A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Road Town vs. Santiago for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Road Town or Santiago?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Road Town and Santiago can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Road Town or Santiago?

Santiago

Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.

Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Road Town?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Road Town Prices
    BVI Prices
    Santiago Prices
    Chile Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Road Town $355
    Santiago $150

The average daily cost (per person) in Road Town is $355, while the average daily cost in Santiago is $150. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Road Town and Santiago in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Road Town $206
    Santiago $109
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Road Town $412
    Santiago $218
Compare Hotels in Road Town and Santiago

Looking for a hotel in Road Town or Santiago? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Road Town


Hotels in Santiago


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Santiago Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Road Town $33
    Santiago $5.41
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Road Town

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Road Town:


  • Taxi From Airport
    $30

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:


  • Metro Ride
    $1.13

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:

  • Airport Transfer and Halfday City tour Santiago de Chile: $362
  • Airport Transfer: Santiago to Airport SCL by Business Car: $87
  • Airport transfer between Santiago city center and Arturo Merino Benítez Airport: $51
  • Arrival Transfer from Santiago Airport SCL to Santiago de Chile: $80
  • City tour santiago with excursion to valparaiso and airport transfer: $150
  • Departure Transfer: Santiago to Airport SCL by Business Car: $87
  • From Viña Santa Rita Tour w/Transfer: $120
  • Luxury Airport Private Transfer SCL: $90
  • Maipo Valley Wine Tour, Concha y Toro, Private Transfer from Santiago: $262
  • Private Round Trip Transfer from Santiago Airport SCL to Santiago: $96
  • Private Round Trip Transfer on Santiago Of Chile City: $68
  • Private Santiago Visit Haras de Pirque Winery & Transfer Hotel: $300

Is it cheaper to fly into Road Town or Santiago?

Prices for flights to both Santiago and Road Town change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Road Town $110
    Santiago $23

Typical Food Prices in Santiago

Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:


  • Empanada
    $1.88
  • Hamburger
    $2.50
  • Dinner
    $26

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.

  • Legacy Family Tour Lunch or Dinner Pairing 4 Strokes: $40
  • Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $82
  • 4-Hour Boozy Chilean Cooking Class in Santiago: $85
  • Bali Hai Dinner & Show, Transport and Wine refill: $106
  • Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $114
  • Private Dinner & Chilean Folk Show with Transfers: $116
  • Alyan Winery Sunset with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $117
  • Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home: $122
  • San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
  • Bali Hai Polynesian Dinner Show with Transfer: $130
  • Private Night City Tour with San Cristobal Hill And Dinner Show: $181
  • Santiago Chilean and Peruvian Cooking Class with a Local Carol: $184

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Road Town $91
    Santiago $47
Typical Entertainment Prices in Road Town

Here are a few typical costs in Road Town for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • 1 Hr Horseback Ride in Sage Mt. Nat'l Pk
    $100

Tours and Activities in Santiago

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:

  • Official Tour of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago: $9.00
  • Santiago Cathedral's Bell Tower Official Tour: $9.00
  • Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino Admission Ticket: $17
  • A historical tour of Santiago, Chile: $18
  • Cable Car Admission Ticket: $18
  • Santiago City Tour: Living History and Local Food Tasting: $20
  • Guided City Tour through the historic center of Santiago: $23
  • Private Guided Walking Tour of the City Center: $24
  • Guided Walking Tour of the Historical Old Town: $25
  • Yungay, Memory, Art, and Neighborhood Walking Tour: $25
  • A Fabulous Walking tour by the Old Santiago of Chile -small group: $25
  • Santiago : Highlights Walking Tour With A Guide: $26

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Road Town $20
    Santiago $8.40

Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago

Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Ludwig's Original Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $34
  • Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Wine Tasting: $60
  • Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $63
  • Undurraga Wine tour: $70
  • Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
  • Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $79
  • Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with wine tasting in Casablanca: $79
  • Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Visit with Wine Tasting: $80
  • Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
  • Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
  • Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $89
  • Kross Brewery Tour: A Craft Beer Tasting Experience: $93


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Road Town and Santiago, we can see that Road Town is more expensive. And not only is Santiago much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Road Town is in Caribbean Islands and Santiago is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Santiago would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santiago and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Road Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Road Town than you might in Santiago.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Road Town Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Road Town or Santiago?

Santiago has a larger population, and is about 570 times larger than the population of Road Town. When comparing the sizes of Road Town and Santiago, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.